The Divine Conspiracy
by Hayden Days
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki, an unconventional priest-to-be, is given a mission to protect an unpredictable girl with abnormal powers, Rukia Kuchiki. Forced to be together and not being able to trust anyone, they are in for the time of their life. Ichiruki
1. Meet Rukia

The Divine Conspiracy

Prologue: Meet Rukia

_"Ghosts are a metaphor for memory and remembrance and metaphorically connect our world to the world we cannot know about."_

LESLIE WHAT

* * *

Rukia sighed as she tapped her fingers on her desk watching the clock tick time by. 

_Tick Tock_

_Tick Tock_

_Tick Tock_

Rukia pleaded the clock with her eyes, begging it to go by faster. Just one more minute, but it felt like the little hand decided to freeze and start taunting her.

_Tick Tock _

_Tick Tock_

Biting on her lip anxiously, she finally concluded that the demented clock from hell was going to be smashed with a hammer, thrown in a tarp and thrust into the ocean, weighed down by a rock. No one would ever miss it and she convinced herself that she would get away with killing the clock hands clean.

"Crap! I am going crazy!" Rukia breathed out while slamming her head tiredly on her desk. Closing her eyes, she decided to breath in and out.

_Tick Tock_

_Breath In_

Her muscles relaxed and her shoulders lessened the tension that she found herself carrying around nowadays. "I. Hate. My. Job." She thought to herself.

_Tick Tock_

_Breath Out_

_Tick Tock_

_Breath In_

After graduating early at the ripe age of 20, her brother ever so kindly forced her to work in the business world. She was forced to work in a small cubicle, filing papers, knowing no one, and receiving perverted looks from the old crusty men that worked with her. Some even had the nerve to grope her ass, a mistake that they will never make again as they received a staple to the head. Never mess with a girl who has a stapler. Never.

_Tick Tock_

_In_

_Tick Tock_

_Out_

She sighed again instantly regretting thinking about her ruined and boring life. She never got a chance to complete her dream, her brother thought that it was a complete waste of time and she could be doing better things with it like copying papers. Yeah, a real contribution to the world.

_Tick Tock_

_In_

_Tick Tock_

_Out_

_Tick Tock_

_In_

_Tick Tock_

_Out_

Now she had to spend her time waiting for a damned clock to strike 5:00. "Speaking of which," Rukia said tiredly, she peeked at the clock: **5:10**.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Rukia slammed her clenched fists on her desk and quickly ran to grab her tan coat and black purse. Thrusting her petite body in her coat and speed walking through the office, she didn't even bother to notify her boss of her leave.

"He'll figure it out sooner or later," Rukia tiredly said.

She quickly exited the building exhausted from running down the flight of stairs after waiting patiently for the elevator. She was determined to buy a digital clock so that she would never have to feel the torture of that possessed hanging clock on her wall. She turned the corner, quickly weaving in and out of people and avoiding collisions with bikers. If she wasn't so focused on buying a new clock, she would have noticed that two men were following her.

She turned into an empty alley, stopping to look at the desolate way. She concluded that she had two choices: A-She could chance it, go into the alley, met some crazy man, get possibly raped or killed and pay for more therapy for the rest of her life. Or B-She could completely avoid the alley and take the long way to the electronics store, which would take twenty minutes or so, and waste her time.

Shifting her weight on her feet, she said to herself, "Hell, what are the chances of meeting some crazy person in a dark alley?"

She entered the alley, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she let her fingers skim the damp walls. She gingerly stepped over the dirty discarded trash and tried her best not to gag on the smell. There was no sound except for the clacking of her heels on the concrete and some other footsteps. No big deal. Wait... other footsteps?

"Wait a sec-" she said as she spun on her heel and clenched her hands on her purse. All she saw was a darkness and an odd red color. She furrowed her brow and peered at the red, "what is that-"

She didn't finish her sentence as she felt a sharp jab in her neck. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she swayed on her feet, the tight grasp of two large hands were on her waist and she heard a man gruffly yell, "Why the hell did you do that!"

Then all was black.

* * *

How do you like that? Bwahaha, I'm pure evil, no!?! Anyways lemme just explain a little, I use to be known as GaarasHD/Soothing Nightmares till someone hacked my account, changed my password and deleted all my stories. So I am looking for the original documents to my other stories: Love in the Midst of Death, The Blooming Wolffia, Black Lace on Sweat, and Cinderella. Yeah, it sucks but no harm done I just don't want any messages/reviews saying that I ripped off GaarasHD, for I am GaarasHD and that would make me one mad little obsessy! XP 

This story is going to have religion in it and I don't care what religion everyone is and I don't care about the views. So please no comments like How can you believe in God? or you totally screwed up blah blah blah...

Like I said on my profile, religion will only be small in this part of the story, you will see!

**So keep reading and please review!**

Peace Out

Hayden Days/GaarasHD


	2. Meet Ichigo

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 1: Meet Ichigo

_"Of all ghosts, the ghosts of our old loves are the worst."_

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

* * *

The light was nowhere to be seen, scared, as if the darkness was taunting it. Making it coil into a small corner and disappear from existence. The young priest-to-be chuckled softly, wondering the irony of such a depressing and smothering atmosphere inside of a church.

His amber eyes strained to make out shapes; he could feel a presence that was trying to hide. Perhaps it was where the light was. He finally made out the shape of the wooden benches and the giant cross that almost seemed to be staring at him burning into his soul.

He took a step forward, then another, then another; the presence started becoming more overbearing as his shoulders felt heavy. He confirmed that it was evil. Of course he knew that the ghost, demon---whatever the hell it was—was evil, the Headquarters told him so. And as far as he knew the Headquarters never done him wrong.

He gingerly removed his silver cross and closed his eyes focusing on the spirit.

Footsteps quickly rushed behind him, taunting the man as if trying to play with him. He held the cross to his lips as the sensation of cold breath stung the back of his neck. He softly whispered to the cross as he pulled out a vile of holy water with his free hand, "Pater noster, qui es in caelis"

Fingernails gripped his shoulder and he was shoved roughly forward, but still he kept the cross to his lips, "sanctificetur nomen tuum."

He heard a screech to the left of him and he quickly looked to see the perpetrator. Amber eyes met yellow.

"Adveniat regnum tuum"

The eyes shot forward and he quickly splashed the water on the eyes, the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils as he could see the eyes open and close, grimacing in pain. Blisters formed on the yellow eyes.

"Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra."

Every line of the prayer, the man grew more confident and his voice grew louder, "Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie…"

He felt a sharp pain against his stomach and he was flung against the church. His back roughly making contact with the cross, he drew in a breath and sharply said, "et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut…"

The screams filled the church, echoing off the walls, filled with pain, torture, hate and evil. The young man grimaced and felt the cross shaking violently back and forth, he looked up to sin the blistered eyes upon the cross, taunting him, he smirked as he threw more water on it, "et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris."

The presence was growing weaker and the cross stopped shaking, the man started chuckling to himself and was about to congratulate himself to an early victory when he felt cold heavy breathing on the side of his face. He slowly turned to be greeted with the yellow eyes, he could make out the white mask covering the face.

"Et ne nos inducas in tentationem…"

He felt the ground leave his feet, as the spirit lifted him by the collar, the man smirked as he yelled, "sed libera nos a malo!"

The spirit screeched in his face, wheezing in pain as the man slammed the silver cross into the mask screaming, "AMEN!"

The mask shattered and the spirit's presence disappeared, the man fell to the floor. Not so gracefully landing on his butt. The lights flashed on, illuminating the church's floor and small puddles of water on the floor, he ran a hand through his bright orange hair, "Well that was easy."

He quickly got up and dusted himself off, all the while admiring the stained glass that surrounded the walls.

"Hmm, Ichigo-kun you really had some fun with that one," a slurry taunting voice appeared out of nowhere, making Ichigo's brow twitch.

"Shuddup," Ichigo said not bothering to look up at the man who was now covering his smile with a fan.

"Ya' know that's no proper way to talk to someone who's just trying to help," the sandy-blonde haired man replied allowing the shadow from his green-striped hat to conceal his eyes.

"Hump," Ichigo grunted, "What do ya want Urahara?"

"Just to say hi to my favorite Ichigo-kun," Urahara sung.

"Don't call me 'kun', we aren't in Japan anymore," Ichigo snapped to Urahara.

"Ah, so I am thinking that you don't want to hear about your next orders then," Urahara said while snapping his fan shut and placing it in his dark green suit, he turned on his heel and shouted over his shoulder, "I guess I will just have to give it to Renji the Freeloader then! See ya Ichigo!"

Ichigo grunted out of annoyance as he glared at the man, "Fine, you call me 'Ichigo-kun', but not in front of anyone other than me, got that!"

Urahara stopped in mid-step and smiled a toothy grin, "Are you that ready to work?"

"Just tell me already!" Ichigo said while clenching his fists, seriously he was suppose to be a priest, but he was seriously about to kill this man.

"Oh it's big and juicy!" Urahara teased.

"…"

"If I were you, I would be bouncing up and down in excitement," Urahara said with a childish tone.

"…"

"This is one case where it's sure to get school girl's skirts blown up over their—"

"JUST TELL ME ALREADY!" Ichigo shouted at the now stunned Urahara as he straightened his hat that tipped from the force of Ichigo's rage.

"My, my, my you need to work on your temper, how do ya' think you are ever going to become a priest with this attitude?" Urahara teased.

"Whatever just tell me." Ichigo said dryly.

"Fine. You have to protect a girl, a cute one I might add."

"What's so important about a girl," Ichigo asked while putting up his I-don't-care-attitude.

"You're gonna find out soon enough," Urahara said with another toothy grin.

"Oh really and what's her name," Ichigo asked while looking up at the cross.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

* * *

Oh two chapters in one day! Now that's what I call, no life! Lol, anyways here you go, I hoped you enjoyed reading it! And please review! (Puppy Eyes) Oh yeah and the stuff that Ichigo was muttering was latin, it was the Lord's Prayer, ya know the "Our Father, who art in heaven..." I really hope that you liked reading my baby, well it's not literally my baby since I didn't have to go through hours of painful labor or anything like that, but oh well you know! 

Peace Out and Thankies

Hayden Days


	3. Rukia Meet Ichigo

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 2: Rukia meet Ichigo

_"Sad men made angels of the sun, and of _

_The moon they made their own attendant ghosts, _

_Which led them back to angels, after death."_

WALLACE STEVENS_

* * *

_

_"Rukia!"__ A __worried__ voice called out to her, as she instantly whirled around her feet. She felt all her __energy being drained by an overpowering __presence__. She felt the sensation of claws ripping through her stomach, she yelped in pain._

_She quickly looked down to see that her stomach__, it__ was perfectly normal, not even a scratch, but the pain lingered. She frantically looked around realizing that she wasn't the only one in danger, she looked around to see a man lying on the ground being pushed down by a black figure._

_She yelled out to him and tried to run, but something held her in place. Strong hands gripped her shoulders and she turned her head to see white hair and a slanting twisted smile._

_She gasped and tried to scream, but shock stole her voice._

Rukia eyes flashed open only to be blinded by florescent lights, her arm instantly came up shielding her eyes for the glare. She heard shuffling and a man whisper, "Hey idiot! She's awake."

Rukia moaned and felt her blood boiled as she recalled the events to herself.

Got off of work…. Walked into alley… saw red…. passed out…. She added everything up in her mind, it slowly processed.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Rukia shouted as she shot up and looked frantically around the room.

There was a cross, white walls, black leather couch, a door, two men sitting on the couch, a mini fridge… two men? She instantly glared at the men and pointed a finger accusingly at them, "You bastards kidnap me!"

"You see what happens when you knock them out," the red haired man glared at the black haired man.

"Well what was I suppose to do, say "Hey Miss, you wanna come with us?"" the black haired man said while pushing up his glasses.

Rukia looked back and forth between the two men and said to herself, "I was kidnapped by complete and total idiots. Oh my God, could you have at least made them a little bit smarter now I feel like a total fool."

The two men looked at her and the red haired man came forward reaching out a hand, most likely trying to shake her hand. Rukia stubbornly crossed her arms across her chest and stared coldly at the man's hand, the man in returned ignored her and said, "The name's Renji."

Rukia looked at him and let a cold silent minute passed by before she slowly brought her foot back. Renji arched his eyebrow, figuring out what was the spitfire of a woman before him was going to do. Rukia smiled politely and said, "Mine's Rukia."

"I kno—" Renji was cut off as his eyes threatened to pop out of his skull, he look down to see her foot connected to his crouch.

"Hey Rukia, be nice," the black haired man said as he instantly shot up from the couch to look at his fallen friend who was now nursing his forever damaged goods.

"Oh _nice_ left the window when you kidnapped me," she yelled into their faces, satisfied with the tears that were running down Renji's face.

"Kidnapping is a bit of a stretch," the black haired man said, "we more or less took you when you weren't looking and brought you to a foreign place."

"I don't see the difference," Rukia said between clenched teeth.

"Well, it just means that we have no evil intentions of harming you," the man replied.

"Oh really?" Rukia said with a fake smile her voice dripping with false happiness and cheerfulness, "But you know I think I may be intending to do something!"

"And… what's… that" Renji said in between breaths.

"To fucking castrate both of you," Rukia said as she grabbed the shirt of the black haired man bringing a clenched fist back.

"What a little pistol we have on our hands," a singing voice declared.

Rukia froze in mid-punch to look at a man who was leaning in the doorframe whom was hiding a smile behind a fan, "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Kisuke Urahara," he said as he snapped his fan shut and continued, "and you my dear are Miss. Rukia Kuchiki, am I correct?"

"Yes…" Rukia said as she released the black haired man's shirt causing him to fall on the floor, she arched an eyebrow waiting for the fan man to continue.

Urahara looked behind him and called out to no one in particular, "Ichigo-kun, come and see your pretty little mission!"

Rukia was about to ask if he was crazy when a man walked and stood behind Urahara. Her eyes instantly widened as she saw his hair.

"I already told you don't call me "Ichigo-kun"," the man glared at Urahara.

"Orange?" She thought to herself, "Who the hell has orange hair? Speaking of which…"

She looked down to see that Renji had red hair and tattoos on his face that was trying to be covered by a bandana; she sighed tiredly "I have been kidnapped by the freaking circus."

"Oh I assure you, we are no circus. We are but mere holy men," the man called Urahara cooed as he walked up to Rukia and patted her head. Instantly earning him a kick to his shins.

The orange haired man just quietly walked into the room and shut the door gently behind him, keeping his bored amber eyes on the wall. Apparently the wall was more exciting than her.

Rukia immediately glared at the orange haired man, and clenched her teeth. Either she is going to know why the hell she was here, or there will be many asses to kick. The orange haired man, apparently a mind reader, scowled at her and asked, "Why the hell is she here!"

"Ichigo, your language. Is this how you act when you are about to be accepted as a priest in six months," Urahara said while smiling his toothy smile at the irritated "priest".

Rukia looked at the two men, "I am thinking what he's thinking. Why the hell am I here?"

That was when things started to get weirder, if that was even possible, Urahara took off his hat and leaned down to Rukia's height, "Have you ever have dreams that seem to come true."

"Yes," Rukia answered skeptically, "but doesn't everyone?"

"Only yes or no answers please," the black haired man with the glasses said sternly causing Rukia to glare at him.

"Have you had dreams of demons and spirits?"

"Yes…"

"Have you ever seen spirits that no one else notices," Urahara continued taking a step closer to Rukia causing her to take a step back.

"Yes…"

"Have you ever talked to these spirits?" Another step forward, Rukia took another step back.

"No…"

"Have they ever tried to talk to you," Step forward, step back.

"Yes…"

"Have you ever touched them?" Rukia's legs made contact with the couch and she was forced back on it, trying her best to keep the distance between her and the towering man.

"Yes, but they would disappear whenever I do," Rukia was gripping the couch seat.

"Do you know what purifying is," Urahara leaned closer to her was now looking directly in her eyes, just a few inches away from her lips.

"No! And get the hell away from me!" She all but practically screeched, Urahara complied hiding a mischievous grin behind his fan. Rukia vowed that that fan will soon met its doom with her paper shredder.

"Just as I thought!" Urahara chanted, causing all the men to look at him as if he was kissing a bear, Rukia was looking at him as if he was going to kill her.

Renji, who now was standing limply, pain evident in his eyes, looked at Urahara, "So she's a shinigami after all?"

"Yep!" Urahara said while flashing a victory sign.

"Thank God, now at least she's in safe hands," the black haired man said while pushing up his glasses on his nose.

"Now it's all up to Ichigo to protect her," Urahara said while beaming at the said boy who was running a hand through his golden locks.

"Why do I have to be the one protecting her," he said aggravated.

"Uh hello," Rukia said meakly as the men were talking about her.

"'Cause the Headquarters called for it," Renji replied cupping one of his hands over his privates, "have fun with this one… she's a fighter."

"Hmm," Ichigo said as he arched an eyebrow, looking at Renji, "Holy shit! You got your ass kicked by a girl!"

"Language," Urahara warned.

"Hey she fights like a boy," Renji argued trying his best to defend his pride, which wasn't working.

"Or more like you fight like a girl," Ichigo said with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" Rukia said as she tried her best to make her known.

"He's right, Ichigo. That girl looks small but she packs a wallop," the black haired man said defending Renji and also himself, as he was about to be beaten to a bloody pulp.

Rukia cleared her throat and stamped her feet.

"Right Ishida. Or maybe he wasn't born with a Y Chromosome. Look how tiny she is—" Ichigo's face instantly kissed the floor, as he felt a tiny foot digging into his back.

"EXCUSE ME!" Rukia shouted while twisting her foot, adding more pain and adding more hurt to Ichigo's already bruised ego.

"Yes, Rukia-chan," Urahara said sweetly.

"I would like to know why I am here, what is a shinigami, who are you, and why the hell am I a mission!" Rukia said jumping off of the orange haired man. Who got up with a gruff and a glare at the girl, who in return placed her small hands on her hips.

"Ah, the time for that will come, but first let's introduce you to your bodyguard from now on," Urahara said while patting her head, creating one really pissed off Rukia.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki," Urahara said while gesturing to the walking carrot, "and Ichigo this is Rukia Kuchiki."

A moment of awkward silence passed as Ichigo and Rukia just glared at each other. Before Ichigo knew it, Rukia's foot came crashing down on his shin making him wince in pain.

"Let's get this straight: I. Don't. Like. You." Rukia said emphasizing each word making them drip with hatred.

Ichigo glared at the girl, while holding his shin, "I am not exactly ecstatic to be stuck with a demonic midget like you!"

"Oh wow! "Ecstatic!" I didn't know that there was some type of vocabulary stuck inside that bleached filled head of yours!" Rukia yelled while crossing her arms.

"Listen get this straight, my head is naturally like this," Ichigo yelled while pointing to his head.

"Oh what? Naturally stupid or naturally dense?"

"You little snob, if you weren't a girl you would be dead by now!"

"AND if you weren't a boy, then some people wouldn't have to question your sexuality!"

"So you're calling me gay?!?" Ichigo said between clenched teeth.

"No! But since you suggested it, now I am starting to think that maybe you swing for the other team!" Rukia said with a smirk, knowing that she is winning this argument.

Renji looked over at Urahara who was smiling mischiviously as Rukia and Ichigo continued to argue, "this is going to be difficult isn't it?"

Urahara smiled as he said, "Diffucult maybe, fun definitely. Now that stage one is completed."

Renji arched an eyebrow, as he winced in pain from the arguing, "And what's stage one."

"Introductions, I think they are going rather well. Doncha think so?"

Renji looked at the bickering two, to find Rukia drop kicking Ichigo and sitting on his stomach and Ichigo swearing that if he wasn't a holy man to be then he would be throwing her in the sewer.

"Oh yeah, real well," Renji ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

Wow I updated early. Let's just say that I was in the mood and I didn't have anything to do... anyways I think that the introductions went pretty much good. Though I love making Ichigo and Rukia fight, next chapter will go into more depth about why Rukia needs protecting! I had fun writing this chapter! I hoped y'all enjoyed reading it and please **REVIEW**! 

Is it that obvious that I want some reviews, lol? Thank you for reading

Hayden Days


	4. White Hallway

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 3: The White Hallway

_"Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living."_

ARTHUR C. CLARKE

* * *

"Ahem," Ishida cleared his throat, making the bickering Ichigo and Rukia stop their fighting. Which was lucky for Ichigo because he was losing… badly.

Rukia blinked her eyes at Ishida as he said, "We should be answering her questions instead of bickering."

Ichigo grunted as he got up from the floor and started dusting his black shirt, damn that girl was evil. He was cursing his luck; being stuck with the she-devil wasn't exactly his idea of fun times. He looked up at Ishida and grunted in agreement, "Let's hurry then."

All the men started exiting the room, leaving the confused Rukia alone, "What the hell, am I suppose to follow you?"

"What do you think," she heard Ichigo's voice call back to her, instantly making her blood boil. Never had she met a man so…so…aggravating! She has spent less than ten minutes with the orange haired priest-to-be and she has felt the need to murder. Never had she been so mad at a single human being in _her life!_

"I doubt that he's even human," she grumbled to herself as she walked out of the room walking into the hallway. She paused almost instantly to see an incredibly long white hallway, with what seemed to be hundreds of wooden doors, and no psychotic men. Oh joy, she was officially screwed!

"Um… hello?" Rukia called out towards the direction she saw the men walk off. Her voice echoed back at her making almost as if laughing at her. She instantly felt desolated; panic filled her heart as she looked back and forth trying to find at least one source of human life.

She started walking, her heels made clacking noises on the white tile. Her eyes skimmed over the doors trying to find out which door was the one the men went into.

"Those assholes could have waited for me," she said as she exhaled heavily, slowly feeling the panic leave her body. The air dropped temperature, as the cold prickled her skin, making her feel incredibly creeped out.

She gnawed on her lip and continued walking to God knows where. She saw something dart past her in the corner of her eye, and she instantly turned on her heel to see… nothing. She nervously laughed to herself and tucked her rebellious strand of hair behind her ears. It felled back in place.

She turned back around and froze in mid-step there was a figure in front of her, oh crap. She looked harder at it seeing the figure clearer, "What the…?"

She took a sheepish step forward, her small fingers trailing against the small wall. Almost daring it to disappear, it was either the spirit or her sanity. Rukia swallowed her building saliva and blinked her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath stabbing her lungs with cold air, she exhaled and saw her breath. She looked at her body to see it trembling uncontrollably, why didn't she notice the shaking before?

_"Have you ever seen spirits that no one else notices?"_

"Okay, let's be fair! I am the only person here," Rukia said to herself after recalling Urahara's words. She looked at the spirit who seemed to have recognized her existence.

_"Have you ever talked to these spirits?"_

Rukia blinked and started playing with her fingers as she nervously looked up at the spirit through her one bang. She started chuckling nervously, not believing that she was about to do this, "Umm… hi?"

The figure took a step towards her. Her violet eyes quickly scanned the figure, male with tattered clothes, looks friendly? Can a ghost be friendly?

"Uh, I'm Rukia and you are…?" Rukia asked as she took a small step back, her heart threatened to jump out of her chest. She had seen spirits before, but had been reassured that she was just imagining things by therapists and friends. She even made the mistake of telling her brother,

_"Byakuya nii-sama__," a young Rukia__ said__ nervously to the man, who was busy doing work, in front of her._

_"Yes, Rukia," he said coldly, not even bothering to look up from the paper he was reading._

_"….um…" Rukia choked on her __sentence__ too scared from the man before her._

_"Yes." Byakuya's voice was emotionless, but Rukia could hear his impatience which scared her even more._

_"Ha-have you ever seen… a ghost," she asked while looking at the floor. She could feel his cold and judging eyes on her and she felt her body tense and straighten immediately. She started playing with her fingers behind her back and she licked her dry lips. _

_It felt as if hours have passed in silence, but in reality it was thirty seconds._

_"Ghosts do not __exist;__ they are foolish developments of unstable imaginations. __Have you__ seen a spirit,__" his__ words felt as if they were choking Rukia and she silently whimpered._

_"No, __N__ii-sama," Rukia said as she transferred her weight on her feet._

_"Then you may leave," he said returning to his work. Rukia quickly turned around and walked away, but not before hearing, "If you have seen a spirit then drastic measures will have to be taken."_

_"Yes,__ Nii-sama,"__Rukia said softly as she shut the door._

The week after that, Rukia was thrown into a therapist's office because of a certain incident. Rukia shook her head, clearing away her thoughts and cursing her day. And all because of _them! _Those damn kidnappers, the crazy fan man and the arrogant orange headed fool were destroying everything that she was programmed to be. It's official! She was crazy!

She licked her lips and took another step back and becoming tired of the silence, asked a little more boldly, "What's your name?"

The ghost tilted his head, apparently confused.

"I guess you're the silent type, huh," Rukia chuckled nervously to herself, "so why are you here."

The ghost opened its mouth as if to say something and a horrible loud screeching groan filled the air. Rukia gritted her teeth and covered her ears, trying to save her eardrums from the torture. She felt its energy becoming increasingly stronger as it took a gliding step towards her. She looked at the ghost and snapped her eyes shut; she started willing herself to believe that the ghost wasn't there.

"This is all a dream, all a dream! I will wake up from this nightmare, in my bed, and check myself straight into an insane asylum! I am only crazy, only crazy," she told herself as she grabbed her hair. "That's right, I am fucking loony! There was no kidnapping, no arrogant orange headed baboon and no ghost in front of me! I am just losing my mind, just losing my very very crazy mind."

She peeked through one of her eyes, big mistake. She was face to face with the spirit, to notice that he had no eyes, just blank sockets; she instantly screamed. "HOLY CRAP!" Rukia tumbled over her feet and landed hard on her butt, "Oh God! No fucking eyes!"

Rukia started crawling backwards, her heels scrapping desperately against the tile as she slipped and slide against the floor. Her heart pounding in her ears and adrenaline pumping through her blood, she saw the ghost glided fast towards her. The cold increased turning her pale skin into a faint blue.

She felt a strong hand grip her shoulder causing her to yelp, "Rukia, what's with you?" The arrogant voice she knew all too well filled her ears, instantly calming her nerves and boiling her blood at the same time. Funny how someone that stupid could have that much of an effect on her.

"Where the hell did you guys go," Rukia harshly asked forgetting the ghost for a moment. She turned her head to see Ichigo squatting next to her with a scowl on his face.

"You were suppose to follow us, idiot," Ichigo said with a smirk, "why the hell are you screaming?"

Rukia's head twirled as she looked at the ghost who was now looking down at her a foot away, it licked its lips, "Can't you see it!?! It fucking licked its lips!"

"See what?" Ichigo's eyebrow arched.

_"…no one else notices…"_

"The ghost!" Rukia yelled with an eyebrow twitch. Now she was annoyed as she instantly remembered Urahara's words, "Trust me! There's a ghost and it's freaky looking!"

Ichigo grabbed her shoulders and slowly brought her up with him, Rukia grabbed on to his arm, eyes never leaving the ghost.

"Rukia, I don't sense anything hostile about it," Ichigo said calmly, his hot breath tickling the side of her face causing her to shiver.

"Then why did it lick its lips," she asked skeptically, looking up at Ichigo.

Ichigo's brow furrowed, "…Dry lips? Who cares about that, come on let's go!" And with that he grabbed Rukia's hand and started pulling her away, Rukia looked behind her shoulder to notice that the spirit wasn't there.

"Umm, Ichigo?"

"What," he replied, not bothering to look at her.

"The ghost isn't there," she said as she looked at her hand entwined with Ichigo's. She felt heat buildup in her cheeks and she cleared her throat nervously.

"So wha—" Ichigo felt all his energy being sucked out of him and he groaned as he stumbled with his footing, "Crap…"

Rukia felt his hand tightened around her own and she felt chills run along her spine. "Ichigo, are you okay," she asked him in a soft voice, seeing the said man's eyes flutter. He grunted in reply.

Rukia felt herself going light-headed as she said, "I think something is going to happen."

As if on cue, one of the doors dangerously flung open attempting to smack Rukia, Rukia clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the impact.

**Crack!**

"What the hell," Rukia heard the sound, but felt nothing. And she could feel something holding on to her, she opened her eyes to see a chest. Her eyes trailed up to see a neck… a face… orange hair? Then realization soon dawned on her, Ichigo was protectively holding her to his chest. She saw part of the door was flung across the hall, the door freaking broke on his back, what the hell is he made of STEEL?

That's when she saw pain flash in his eyes, "Ich—Ichigo?"

"Stupid midget, when you see a door being opened at ya', you move!"

"I couldn't very well move with you putting the death-grip on my hand!" Rukia's brow furrowed.

Ichigo looked back up, still holding Rukia, and said, "Where the hell is the ghost, Rukia?"

Rukia bit her lip as she looked frantically around until she craned her neck and saw the ghost. "Over there, Ichigo!" She said tossing her finger towards the direction.

"The bastard, I am going to enjoy this!"

Ichigo swirled Rukia on her feet, grabbing her arm and shoved her behind him, putting himself between Rukia and the ghost, "Domine, exaudi vocem meam."

Rukia's back hit the wall and she watched in fear. She suddenly became light headed as Ichigo's whispers danced in her ears, her heart fluttered and she felt as light as air. She swayed on her feet clutching the back of Ichigo's shirt to support her. She could feel the aura of the spirit disappear and she felt as if her breath was taken away from her. She rested her head on Ichigo's back.

Meanwhile Ichigo was having a hard time completing the prayer. "Damn Midget!" he blushed as he thought to himself, he closed his eyes and focused on the spirit who wails were echoing in the hall.

"Fiant aures tuae intendentes," he said, his voice seemed to dance and sway with melody, "in vocem deprecationis meae."

Rukia felt her entire body tremble with every word the priest-to-be spoke; she closed her eyes tightly as a sharp pain in her head was forming.

"Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine." Ichigo finished the spirit's final blood curdling scream filled their ears, Rukia gasped for air as her legs couldn't support her. She fell to the floor, her entire body trembling, but refusing to move as if paralyzed.

Ichigo quickly spun around and looked down at the gasping girl, "Dammit Rukia, have you ever been exposed to spiritual energy before?"

"It's…not…like…I…do…this…everyday," Rukia gasped out in between breaths, as Ichigo squatted down in front of her, she couldn't resist adding, "Idiot."

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched; there was no helping this she-devil. Even when her energy is virtually sucked away, she could make him pissed. Damn, he didn't know whether to help her up or smother her with a pillow. Lucky for Rukia, there was no pillow so he reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder causing the trembling girl to look up at him, "Let's go Rukia."

Rukia's throat was dry and she licked her lips, "Okay."

Ichigo reached out a hand to pull her up, but she ignored it and slowly brought herself up and dusted her skirt. Ichigo asked annoyed, "Can you act any colder?"

"Towards you… yes," Rukia said as she started walking in a random direction. She heard Ichigo snort and turned her head to look at him, "Do you have a problem?"

"Idiot, you're going the wrong way," Ichigo said while thrusting his thumb back in the correct direction. He started walking not bothering to wait for Rukia, he heard her heels clacking on the tile and smirked, "Why the hell were you so afraid of a dinky ghost. Don't you see them all the time?"

_…Silence…_

"Hey Rukia," he turned around to see the girl standing rigid and still, looking down at the ground.

"What's wrong," he asked, this girl was giving him a headache. That was till he noticed her form had started trembling and her fists clenched till they turned white, "Hey! Rukia!"

"Ichigo. Turn around," Rukia coldly said causing Ichigo to growl.

"Why the hell should I do that? I saved your ass from a pathe—"

"JUST DO IT," Rukia yelled at him, looking up at him with her deep violet eyes. Ichigo shuddered inwardly; in those eyes was mixture of pain and sadness that he has never seen before, except on himself. He sheepishly turned around and waited.

Rukia filled her lungs with air and slowly released the air, forcing her thoughts to expel as well.

'Breath in, Rukia," she thought to herself as her lungs complied, "just breath."

She hated this feeling; she hated how Ichigo had to save her from that ghost. She hated that her memories and past kept returning back to her at an abnormal rate. Ever since she was young, she promised to herself that she would never let her past nor emotions get in the way of her life. But today it felt as if her promise gave her the finger and left, letting the emotions and memories drown her. No one should ever see her in such a pathetic position; she swallowed as the thoughts of Kaien were thrusted in the back of her mind. She just needed to pretend that nothing was bothering her and everything will be alright. That would work… right?

She looked up at Ichigo's back and "cheerfully" said, "Let's go Ichigo!" Hoping that Ichigo wouldn't catch on to the false happiness that was slathered on that one simple sentence, but to her dismay he did.

"Fine," he said trying his best not to aggravate the little vixen following him, "let's go met up with the others." He concluded that it was her choice to tell him what the hell was the matter with her.

Rukia nodded her head and followed the walking carrot, feeling with every step dread for the future.

"What the hell am I getting into?" They both simultaneously thought.

* * *

Okay so I lied last chapter lol. NEXT CHAPTER, will be going more in depth! Anyways I really wanted to show _some _of Rukia's past and wanted to go deeper into their characters. And also had to add a little bit of Ichiruki action because I just couldn't resist. But I really want their relationship to develop because I don't like it when the characters instantly fall in love with each other. I mean where is all the bickering, oh btw I had Ichigo blush because you know how he's a priest-to-be and also that he's unexperienced with the opposite sex! 

The prayer used is from the Psalter of St. Jerome: "Domine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuae intendentes si iniquitates observaveris, Domine" translates to: "Lord, hear my voice. Let Thy ears be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant."

I know not a lot, huh? But I didn't want to ruin the mood by adding more lines to the prayer. XP And thank you so much to **CharmedNightSkye **and **Haeye** for the reviews! Sending all my love to you two! lol So every please **review**! I hoped that everyone enjoyed this chapter!

Hayden Days


	5. Caged

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 4: Caged

_"In culture after culture, people believe that the soul lives on after death, that rituals can change the physical world and divine the truth, and that illness and misfortune are caused and alleviated by spirits, ghosts, saints ... and gods."_

STEVEN PINKER

* * *

Rukia shifted her weight on her foot as she stood in front of the room. Everyone was watching her and not in that good watching way where everyone wanted to be with her or be her. No…. they were scrutinizing her. Suddenly she felt like she was in front of her brother, except that was much worse at least the people before her were semi-humanlike. Her violet eyes passed by the people… Urahara, Renji, Ishida, a guy with a 69 on his face, two girls with huge breasts, an old man with a long beard, a little white haired boy, Ichigo— 

"Miss. Kuchiki," the hoarse voice snapped her out of her observing trance, and she jerked her head to see the old man.

"Yes," she instantly went into her cold all business mode, the old man's presence instantly called for dignity and respect.

"First and foremost, my name isGenryusai Yamamoto. Before we go on further, you do understand why you are here," the old man said as he rested his folded hands on the table.

"All that I was informed about was that I am here because of ghosts," Rukia said emotionlessly.

"Correct, but more exactly, tainted spirits."

"Tainted spirits…" Rukia repeated suddenly interested.

"Ever since man was on Earth, spirits have lingered. The balance between good and evil becomes shifted, spirits seek vengeance or consol. The world's delicate fabric that God has sewn starts dethreading, it's the church's job to keep that fabric intact."

Rukia slowly nodded her head and became uninterested, pretending to know what the hell he was talking about. Because frankly she was confused, hungry, annoyed, and wasn't willing to listen to an old man's soliloquy. That was when Ishida started talking, "We are living in the eve of the apocalypse because of this we have discovered that one person has the ability to cleanse impure spirits. This person has been chosen specifically by God, this person has divine blood running through their veins, to put it simply they are as the Japanese would put it 'Shinigamis'."

Rukia's ears perked, instantly she wondered, "Do they think I am a Shinigami?"

Ishida's continued talking merely confirmed her thought, "Rukia, you are a Shinigami."

"Wow, great way to ruin the atmosphere," Rukia said tiredly, she looked around the room everyone had a serious expression except for Ichigo who looked bored and was watching the wall.

"So you are telling me that I was chosen by God to cleanse impure spirits," Rukia said massaging her aching temples.

"In a nutshell," the man with the 69 tattoo on his face replied.

"Then why do I have to be protected and why especially by the orange haired 'hero' over there?" Rukia asked, sarcasm practically oozing with the word hero.

The white haired boy stood up and instantly it felt as if the room became ten degrees colder, "You need to be protected so that others won't use you for evil."

"Evil?" Rukia snorted, she felt as if she was in a cheesy drama made by some teenage girl.

Urahara took this opportunity to snap open his oh-so-familiar fan, "The Apocalypse is nearing with each day, people will want to use ya' to shift their odds in their favor. If ya' know what I mean." He flashed a toothy grin.

"Why would I matter in the Apocalypse?" Rukia never felt more confused in her life, why the hell is she the one with all the bad luck; she must have committed a murder in her previous life.

"Like previously stated, we still don't know all your powers. We do know one thing: you have Divine power." The guy with the 69 tattooed on his face stated while crossing his arms.

"And with Divine power comes the opportunity to use such massive powers for evil," the bigger breasted of the two girls finished for the 69 tattooed face.

"And who are you all," Rukia asked arching an eyebrow.

"We are a secret branch from the Catholic Church, known as Soul Society and you are in our Headquarters." Renji replied.

"And what is the headquarters' name?" Rukia inquired.

"Headquarters," Renji said flashing a smile.

"Original."

"We like to think so," Urahara interrupted seriously.

Rukia felt her eyebrow twitch; now she was annoyed they still didn't answer why they kidnapped her. Almost as if magic, Ichigo turned his head, "Why did we have to kidnap her?"

"To ensure that she's in safe hands," the white haired boy replied.

Ichigo grunted and returned his gaze at the window.

"And how do I know that I am the Shinigami?" Rukia asked skeptically.

"You show the signs," Renji replied.

"And what are the signs?"

"Acute sense towards spirits, massive energy, and spiritual sensitiveness," 69-face said.

"How sure are yo—"

"We know of the Kaien incident," Yamamoto interrupted.

"Kai-Kaien," Rukia took a step back. She replied angrily, "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"In that incident you showed Divine Powers," Yamamoto said smoothly. Rukia gasped and felt her heart stopped, she looked around the room; suddenly it became harder to breath. She noticed that Ichigo was staring at her with an intense gaze.

"That bastard must be enjoying seeing me squirm," she muttered softly to herself, she licked her lips and sucked in air through her teeth.

"How do you know about Kaien," Rukia felt her heart pound fiercely against her chest.

"We have been watching your movements since birth. We know every word you said, every time you smiled, and everything that you have ever done. You show the true signs of being a shinigami," Yamamoto answered.

"And what if I refuse," Rukia felt her will to fight die as she fought back tears.

"We will just keep you secluded away from the world," Yamamoto looked at her fiercely.

"Secluded?" Rukia's eyebrow shot up.

"We have the power to make your loved ones think that you are dead, no one will miss you… too much," the white haired boy said, "and once we do, we will just throw you in a room so that no one can get their hands on you."

Rukia swallowed her building saliva, the only person that would really question where she was was Byakuya, but he would accept her death and not look further into it. She looked at the old man and white haired boy and saw their serious faces. 'Crap they mean what they say, Rukia thought, "I bet that they have the power to do that to me too…"

"Fine," Rukia shrugged her shoulders, "I will play along with you all."

"Excellent," Yamamoto motioned to the two big breasted girls who were jumping with excitement, they both practically leaped on her.

"What the he—"

"Rukia! My name is Orihime Inoue," the "smaller" breasted girl said while hugging Rukia.

"I'm Rangiku Matsumoto," the bigger breasted girl said while ruffling Rukia's hair, "Introductions are a must, huh Rukia?"

Rukia was now being muffled in their breasts, "Mphm!"

"It's been so long since another girl has been with us, as you can see the majority is testosterone filled… not that I mind thought," Matsumoto said with a suggestive look.

Rukia was finally released from the boobs of doom, to see that everyone was standing in front of her. Everyone excluding Ichigo.

Renji grabbed Rukia's shoulder enthusiastically and held her brotherly at his side, "Rukia! This is Shuuhei Hisagi…"

The man with the 69 tattoos crossed his arms, "Yo." Rukia smiled and laughed nervously at Shuuhei and noticed that he had more tattoos on his face. She thought, 'What's with it with guys and tattoos… I wonder why the hell he has a '69' on his face.' She instantly blushed and bit her lip to keep a straight face as she said under her breath, "Perv…"

"…and Hitsugaya Toushiro…"

The little white haired boy straightened his black shirt and didn't say anything. Rukia instantly liked him, he wasn't loud and annoying like some orange headed fool—Rukia looked at Ichigo and saw that he was intently looking at her. He's been doing that too much for her liking, but she swallowed her tempting comment about his huge ego compensating for his manhood. Rukia smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all, but I have a few questions…"

Renji smiled down at her, "Shoot."

"Are you all priests?" She said as she pointed a dainty finger at everyone.

Urahara smiled as he hugged a squirming Ichigo and ruffled his hair, "Everyone except for Ichigo-kun here!"

"Get off of me!" Ichigo yelled as he punched Urahara's face.

Rukia fought back a giggle, then her face turned stoic as she fumbled with her thoughts, 'I will never be able to live my own life."

Although Rukia never had a conventional life, but she had a somewhat normal life. She had a feeling that this Soul Society will control every element of her life, what she did, when she slept, what she ate. She felt nauseous at the thought and she walked away from Renji who was arguing playfully with Shuuhei. She walked towards an empty area of the room and watched everyone, Hitsugaya was yelling at Matsumoto about something, Orihime was chatting animatedly with Ishida and Urahara was standing with Yamamoto.

'These are the people that I will know till I die," Rukia instantly felt as if she had been caged. She suddenly sympathized with a wild horse being captured and thrusted in a pen, a small pen where the horse couldn't run till its heart's content. Rukia felt her dreams crushed, she wanted to visit America and travel the rest of Europe. She wanted to publish a novel… well not really, but she wanted the choice of publishing a novel.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see her "best friend", "Don't worry about it, you can still do the things that you want."

Was she that readable? Rukia frowned slightly and recovered her pride, "What makes you think that I was thinking about that?"

"You may be able to hide your emotions, but your eyes are a dead giveaway to what you are thinking, Midget," Ichigo said as he shoved his hands in his pocket and dodged a swift kick by Rukia.

"Whatever," Rukia said as she sucked in air.

"What no snappy comeback," Ichigo said with a smirk, "and I thought that you were smarter than that."

Rukia scoffed, she wasn't in the mood to argue with Ichigo. Any other day besides this one hell of a day, first she wakes up in a suspicious room, gets attacked by a ghost and then she had her freedom taken away in one fatal swoop. She licked her lips.

"What's the matter Midget, is your brain as small as your height," Ichigo taunted, he was somewhat disturbed by the petite woman's silence. He was about to continue when Yamamoto banged his cane on the ground, the room instantly turned silent.

"Ichigo, you have another assisgnment."

"Don't tell me that I have another person to watch over," Ichigo said with an aggravated tone.

"No, you have an exorcism," Urahara answered for him.

"What am I gonna do about her," Ichigo thrusted his thumb towards Rukia.

"Bring her with you," Urahara singsong earning snickers in the room.

"Fine," Ichigo grumbled.

* * *

Sorry about the long wait, I have been studying the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress to find some good verses to use. Anyways I have big ideas for this story and this chapter is just an explanation to why Rukia got kidnap and I will explain Shinigami's history and purpose further. Anyways I really have big ideas for this story, so please **REVIEW!!!!**

Oh yeah and I am going to be killing a character further on in this story, so let's take a vote to see who shall die. Here are the canidates:

Orihime

Renji

Ururu (will come on later in the story)

Cast your votes or else I am gonna close my eyes and point my finger at a random name and they will met their DOOM!!!! lol

Hayden Days


	6. A Long Night

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 5: A Long Night

_"The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts."_

ITALO CALVINO

* * *

"I'm not wearing this."

Ichigo grumbled to himself as he stood outside the room, he yelled back to the girl behind the door, "You are wearing whatever we give you!"

_**THUMP**_

Ichigo chuckled to himself hearing the petite girl fall on the floor proved to be amusing for a moment… that was until his annoying nice conscience had to kick in. He knocked on the wooden door with the back of his hand, "You okay?"

"What's it to you, idiot," came an angry replied, Ichigo smirked at first he had an agitated Rukia, but now he had an officially pissed off Rukia.

"I'm suppose to be protect ya', but how can I protect a clumsy midget from herself."

The door flung open revealing a flaring Rukia; she crossed her arms and said in her 'in a matter of fact' tone, "I'll have you know that I have been called graceful ever since I was a child."

"Oh yeah and by who?—A blind man?" Ichigo said with another smirk on his face.

"Whatever," Rukia said, deciding to change the subject she asked, "Where the hell did you get this dress, it's like a child's outfit."

"It is," Ichigo said, regarding the yellow sundress with the white lace trim on the hem that Rukia was wearing, "we got it from the orphanage."

"Why the orphanage," Rukia said, "I look like a freaking twelve year old!"

"Well considering that you have the body of one, I would be more gracious," Ichigo said while rolling his eyes, he started walking through the unlighted dark hallway with a fuming Rukia following behind.

"Stupid idiot of a man," Rukia said quietly, but loud enough for Ichigo to hear. She tugged at her dress and fiddled with the white ribbon tied around her waist as followed the orange haired man through the hallway labyrinth. They paused for a moment and Rukia watched as Ichigo opened a door and pulled out a black trench coat and suitcase, he shouldered the coat and heard, "Can you wear anymore black?"

Ichigo shrugged and replied, "Can you be any more annoying, anyways it's not like they have rainbow colored clothes for priests."

"Whatever, hurry up I want to leave this place," Rukia said as she shifted her weight on her feet.

"Fine, let's go," Ichigo said as he opened another door leading into a garage.

Ichigo rubbed his aching temples as he fought back the urge to slam one annoyingly talkative midget's head against the dashboard.

"Is this car yours?"

"It's the Headquarters," he grumbled.

"Where are we going to?"

"A village in Switzerland."

"Does this village have a name?"

"NO! I am just driving around aimlessly for my own comfort!" Ichigo felt his veins popping.

"Don't get all angry with me, anyways how long will it take to get there?"

"At least two days," Ichigo grumbled.

"Why didn't we just take a plane," Rukia asked while crossing her arms, boredom was hitting her hard and all she could do was talk with the carrot headed buffoon.

"Because this exorcism is not that urgent, if it was then we would be taking a plane," Ichigo's knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel too hard.

"Why does it have to be urgent in order for us to be taking a plane?"

"Why can't you just shut up," he looked at her, his eye twitching. He could tell she would never cease the questions so he sighed and ran a hand through his hair while steering with the other hand, "Right now since we have you it would be best to avoid all large crowds and to be as secretive as possible."

Rukia's mouth formed a small 'o' and she looked out of her window, watching the blue and black night sky dotted with hypnotizing stars. Ichigo was finally met with the silence that he so longed for since he started driving 2 hours ago and he felt his eyes strain against the darkness that surrounded them both. He sighed as he felt his blood cool down and took in a breath of relief; never had he met someone who could get him pissed off so much in a matter of seconds. They drove in silence for a few minutes till he heard, "Is that why we are driving at night?"

Ichigo twitched as he turned to say, "Will you shut up please!"

"What? I hate being cooped up for a long time," Rukia said as she defensively crossed her arms.

"Then do something," Ichigo replied tiredly.

"Like what?"

Ichigo said the first thing that popped in his mind and said it quickly, "Count the birds that pass by."

"Oh yeah, cause there are birds that fly around at 12 at night," Rukia drawled sarcastically.

"They're called owls, ever heard of them?" Ichigo replied, equally sarcastic.

Rukia was about to say something, until she was silenced by a yawn.

"You're tired," Ichigo stated the obvious, "go to sleep."

"What about you," Rukia fought back another yawn.

"We'll stop at some place in a couple of hours, but in the mean time get some sleep," Ichigo said, he was answered with a huffed "fine" and he looked over at Rukia to see that she was curled up, laying on her side facing the side window. He smiled, happy with the fact that he finally got her to shut up and continued driving; the only light that greeted him was the headlights.

Twenty minutes passed by and he soon found himself missing the chirping of the little nymph that was sleeping beside him. The silence was nerving he turned the volume dial of his radio as far down as possible, then turned the radio on and adjusted the volume to a low hum. So as to not disturb the nymph and have her turn into an incubus.

The radio was turned onto opera which Ichigo didn't mind, he found himself preferring opera over the European artists that were popular. The low and high hums of the instruments swirled around his mind and he tapped his fingers along with the soft melody and beat.

The darkness of the night was stifling, but at least there were the stars which shone more brightly than they did in the city. But it didn't stop the thoughts that Ichigo found himself thinking when he was in the darkness, _'okaasan… otousan… my imouto's…' (1)_

His heart raced as the three simple common names entered his thoughts; he quickly turned all his attention to the road. It didn't work as he struggled with his haunting past; he left Japan to escape those damned memories. The reason he is becoming a priest was because of those deadly whispers of his lost happiness.

_"Ichigo-kun," a blonde man dress in black addressed him._

_Ichigo didn't make a reply as he thrusted his hands in his black __pant__ pockets._

_"Ichigo-kun, honto ni gomennasai," the man said as he laid a hand on Ichigo's tense shoulders. (2)_

_Ichigo grunted in reply, as a woman's wail of sorrow filled the air._

_"Isn't that the boy?" came a whisper._

_"You mean, Ichigo?"_

_"He's Isshin and __Masaki's child."_

_"He's only 17 and all alone, I pity him."_

_"Don't, I heard that he killed them."_

_"Really? Including his cute sisters Yuzu and Karin."_

_"Yeah, I wouldn't get near him if I were you."_

_All those whispers, all those lies and rumors, it was human tendency to talk about things that they don't know. To be afraid of the unknown. __Ichigo felt his throat close as he clenched his fists in his pockets, he licked his lips as his shoulder where the man's hand was touching was turning cold. _

_"Ichigo, do you want another life," the man said as he gripped Ichigo's shoulder tighter._

_Ichigo remained silent as people started walking away from the funeral. A drop of rain landed on his check as his heart pounded fiercely in his chest, the sky was a mixture of black and grey. _

_"I know who truly killed your family, Ichigo-kun," the man continued saying, his hand never leaving the boy's shoulder._

_Ichigo licked his dry and chapped lips as he listened to the blonde haired man._

_"If you come with me you will live in a new country and a new life."_

_Ichigo fought back the rising lump in his throat as the rain started to come down harder, "Is that so…"_

_"Hai, Ichigo-kun," the blonde haired man jumped__ between__ Japanese to English trying to make himself more relatable to Ichigo, "but more importantly __you will get something else." (3)_

_"And what is that," Ichigo asked his eyes never leaving the tombstone._

_"Revenge."_

_Ichigo looked at the man, who was now smiling widely and __answered for him__, "I am glad that you agree, I'm Urahara Kisuke, and we will be leaving tomorrow morning._

And with that he was rushed off to Rome with a man he just met and thrusted into the clergy. His life was a blur during that time; he didn't care what happened to him as his wound was still fresh and stinging. The pain was too much to bear; he figured that if he didn't leave Japan he would have died from all the memories and sorrow.

Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair and looked at the digital clock, "3:37"

Almost as if the time made him tired, he yawned and instantly felt weary. He looked ahead to see if there were any hotels or anything that would serve as a shelter to sleep in, he saw a lone building on the side of the road. He slowed the car down and looked at the building, it was a small cottage and he strained his eyes at a painted sign to read, "The Mandalin Inn."

He smiled and knew that luck was in his favor as he turned the car into the dirt pave way and parked by the wooden fence. He nudged the sleeping Rukia and said, "Wake up; we are going into the Inn."

Rukia moaned and turned over in her sleep to face Ichigo, who in return smirked as he poked Rukia's nose and flattened it to make it look like a pig's.

"Wake up, Midget."

Rukia's eyes snapped open to be greeted with a smirking Ichigo's face and an odd sensation in her nose. "What…?" She mumbled as she slowly lifted her aching back from the car seat and looked around at the surroundings. She asked softly, "Where are we."

"At an Inn," Ichigo said as he clicked his seatbelt off and turned off the car. Rukia replied, "Oh" as she swiftly released herself from the seatbelt and got out of the car. She stretched her arms and kicked the brown dirt with her white slippers.

Ichigo mumbled, "Come on," after he reached into the car's trunk to get two small brown suitcases, one of which he threw at Rukia, who caught it swiftly.

Ichigo opened the wooden door of the Inn, to be instantly greeted by a bell twinkling. He held the door opened for Rukia, they both looked around the Inn, it had a homey feeling to it. The yellow warm paint and soft white couches made them both feel instantly comfortable. The room was decorated with various artwork, one of the most striking pieces of artwork was a framed painted picture of a woman in a large flowing dress holding a white hat from blowing away with the wind.

There was a shuffling sound and a groan coming from the back of the wooden desk, Rukia craned her neck around Ichigo to see who was making that sound. She fought back a giggle as an odd, giant muscular man dressed in a flowery apron slowly shuffled towards the desk, massaging his eyes behind his glasses.

Ichigo was the first to speak, "Are you the owner of this Inn?"

The man obviously tired from being waked up so early answered, "Yes, the name is Tessai."

"Do you have any spare rooms?"

"Yes, if you sign here I will lead you to the unoccupied room," Tessai gestured to a piece of paper on a clipboard and patiently waited for Ichigo to sign his name.

He looked down at the clipboard and yawned, "Ichigo, huh? You and your little girlfriend follow me."

"He's not my—Ouch!" Rukia said as Ichigo jabbed his elbow into her shoulder.

"Sorry she's just delusional from the lack of sleep," Ichigo chuckled as he wrapped his arms around an irritated Rukia, "lead the way!"

Tessai chuckled and said, "Follow me."

After a moment of walking down a hallway he opened a door and said, "Well here you go. For breakfast—"

"We won't be eating breakfast, we will be leaving after we wake up," Ichigo interrupted.

"Ah, well than the bathroom is down the hall," Tessai made a gesture with his thumb, showing the direction of the bathroom, "I shall be leaving."

And with that he was gone and Rukia squirmed her way out of Ichigo's grip, "What the hell was that for?"

"Hmm, what?" Ichigo said as he lay down on the bed.

"That whole 'she's just delusional, my girlfriend' act," Rukia said as she sat down on the unoccupied part of the bed.

"It's easier to say than 'I am just protecting her' bit," Ichigo said as he kicked off his shoes.

"Oh…" Rukia replied, her eyebrow shot up, "You are not sleeping in the bed with me."

"Who says that you are sleeping in the bed?" Ichigo said as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest. Rukia blushed and as quickly as it appeared it disappeared, she remained her ground, "I do!"

"Whatever you sleep on this side and I will sleep on that side," Ichigo joked and pointed to the side and Rukia had to thank the heavens that the bed was big enough to remain as physically apart as possible.

Rukia looked at Ichigo and commanded, "Turn around you Idiot."

Ichigo complied as he lay in the bed and turned towards the opposite side of Rukia, closing his eyes and waiting for sleep. And he would have fallen asleep if the midget that he was stuck with wasn't so loud. He heard the suitcase snap open, a bunch of moving and a shuffling of feet, after about ten minutes of movement he was officially pissed off. He felt weight on the bed and he looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a Rukia in a white tight tank top and plaid blue boxers that the orphanage so fondly provided. He blushed as he realized that she was getting in the bed, "What the hell do you think you are doing!"

"I'm getting in bed," Rukia said as she pulled the covers over herself and snuggled closer to the mattress.

"I was kidding!" Ichigo retorted.

"Well then next time don't kid, now shut up and go to sleep," Rukia said as she turned to her side.

Ichigo swallowed his spit and focused his attention to the clock as it winked at him, "4:10"

He then felt some rustling and something against his back and he quickly jerked around to see a pillow in between him and Rukia, "What the hell is that for?"

"So you know which side is yours and which side is mine."

"Why do you get more room," Ichigo asked his brows furrowed.

"Get over it and go to sleep," she hastily replied.

Both Ichigo's and Rukia's face were flushed and bright red, they both tried to think of other things besides the fact that they were sleeping in the same bed together. With Rukia she had to fight back the image of Ichigo's chest, while Ichigo was battling with the tempting image of Rukia in her tanktop and boxers which was for him a little too revealing.

"This is going to be a long night," Rukia and Ichigo both thought.

* * *

Sorry about the long wait, I had school and everything... I know no more excuses, I promise to update more. I added some of Ichigo's past, so that you understand that right now he doesn't know what he wants and also I added a very awkward moment with Rukia and Ichigo, because I am a loyal Ichiruki fan and couldn't resist. I really want to thank **cactuspd **that review made me really happy I also want to thank **moonfan2012**, **CharmedNightSkye **(special thanks for reviewing twice!) , **Just Me and Myself**, and **Haeye**

The Polls are still open for who wants who to die:

Ururu------ 1

Renji-------1

Orihime----0

(and since cactuspd suggested it) No one------1

Though I plan on killing someone to make the plot thicker, if there's no killings well that's just fine because the plot I plan is very flexible! So please vote!!! And REVIEW!

Oh yeah I added some Japanese into it so here's the glossary: 1-okaasanmother, otousanfather, imoutosister

2-Honto ni gomennasaiI'm really sorry

3-Hai Yes, when used in this sentence it was like saying yes it is so

Thank you for reading and like I said Review!!!!

Hayden Days


	7. Snuggles

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 6: Snuggles

_"Courage is fear that has said its prayers."_

DOROTHY BERNARD

* * *

_Rukia rubbed her eyes as the only sight that greeted her was darkness. She could feel a hard lump rise in her throat and swallowed harshly. She looked around as she meekly called out, "H—Hello?"_

_Silence. Rukia knew something was wrong; she scrambled backwards on the floor and a wall met her back. _

"_S—Some--Someone? Anyone? Please say something!" She choked on her words. She instantly regretted what she said as she heard a heavy breathing, she felt as if she was at the edge of hell any moment waiting to fall into the fiery abbess. _

"_Kaien-dono? You promised!" She yelled out as fear seemed to be the only thing she could sense._

"_Rukia! Close your eyes," yelled a man._

"_Why!?" Rukia said as she clutched to her thin dress, her eyes strained to adjust to the darkness. Only to her horror to find that she was in a pool of blood, her blood. She winced as she recalled the gash across her back, she looked in front of her to find a dark stout figure in front of her. It came forward as she helplessly watched it, paralyzed in her own fear. _

_It came face to face with her and she gasped in horror as she saw a white mask, a snarl encumbering its two mouths. It dropped something on her lap, something heavy and wet. She looked down and her fingers wrapped around the object she lift it up her eyes desperately scanning the object. Curiosity killed the cat as her eyes widened, "Kai—Kaien? Kaien-dono?"_

_She cradled the head of her beloved Kaien to her chest as she wailed in agony, not caring about the laughing monster in front of her raising its claws to strike. _

"_You promised to always be with me."_

Rukia gasped as she opened her eyes, she took a moment to let her surroundings sink in.

"It was only a dream," she whispered to herself. Her memories use to haunt her ever since that Kaien incident, but she hadn't had that particular dream for years. She tried to run a hand across her forehead when she realized something was constricting her. She raised an eyebrow as she wiggled her body trying to loosen the grip, she grunted as she realized that her efforts weren't working. She poked with her free hand at the alien object that was around her waist, it was hard and human-like.

Then it hit her, "Oh…Holy Crap!" She yelped loudly in surprise as she realized that it was Ichigo, who in return woke up with a groggy, "What the hell?"

He was met face to face with a blushing Rukia and asked, "Why the hell are you blushing?"

He looked down at his arms as his eyes trailed to the path that his arm has 'involuntarily' taken, little to his horror he realized that he was holding Rukia. It only took a second for him to realize his position with Rukia when a Rukia's head connected with his, causing one hell of a head butt.

Both parties were knocked over the bed with a loud yell and blushing faces. Rukia looked over the bed and pointed a finger accusingly at a now rubbing his injured forehead Ichigo, "You're a Spooner!"

Ichigo's face turned redder as he looked over at Rukia whose face was blushing furiously, "No I'm not!"

"Then what do you call that, "Friendly Contact"?" Rukia finger-quotationed. She added, "And you completely disregarded the pillow rule!"

"The pillow rule?"

"You stay on your side and I stay on mine, you broke that rule. Do you have any decency for laws?"

"Laws, since when has there been a pillow law?" Ichigo said with a scowl.

"Since… NOW! You just have to come with terms that you're a spooner!"

"Oh yeah well I don't see you complaining," Ichigo grunted.

"I am! What the hell do you think I am doing?" Rukia folded her arms across her chest.

"You are accusing, not complaining," Ichigo stated as he slowly lifted himself unto the bed.

"I would like to see what the hell complaining is in your delusional world," Rukia said as she dusted the invisible dust off her boxers.

"Face it," Ichigo said as he looked at her with a tilted puppy head, "you want me."

"WHAT!" Rukia said as she stumbled and landed gracefully on her butt, she blushed and then recovered as she decided to give him a little pay-back. She managed her best lusty face and looked at Ichigo hungrily, "Yes because…"

She crawled onto the bed, looking at the blushing startled Ichigo with a look that could only say: sex.

"you are everything that I like in a man," Rukia crawled over to the frozen Ichigo and draped her arms around his bare neck hearing a small moan coming from her victim, "strong, handsome…"

She allowed a finger to trail softly up against his abs as she whispered huskily into his ear, "and a virgin." She slammed her knee into his back as he yelled, "What the fuck!"

She laughed victoriously as she stood on the bed with her arms across her chest. Ichigo snarled as he said, "I'll have you know, I have pleasured many women—"

"Like who, Renji?" Rukia teased.

"Whatever, you damn midget I'm going to take a shower. After holding you I smell like failure," Ichigo said as he shoulder his clothes and left the room, closing the door just before a pillow was thrown.

Rukia sat down at the edge of the bad and looked down at her fingers, blushing at the memory of the contact with Ichigo.

"What the hell," Rukia said questioning herself. This was not like her; she was a smart and capable girl that does not blush easily. But ever since meeting the damned carrot that she was convinced was destined to make her life a living hell she found that her cheeks always seemed to become red. Which was frustrating to say the least. She bit her lip as she tried to figure out the reasons for her sudden "behavior", it couldn't be her fault. Nothing ever was, it must be the water…. Yes the water!

She finally concluded, "I am not drinking anymore water, just juices, milk and soda!"

Meanwhile, Ichigo was having a hard time trying to collect his thoughts.

"What the hell was with me," he said as he turned the water to make it hotter. He found that scorching water was always a great remedy for troubling thoughts, but this time it wasn't working. He leaned against the shower wall letting the scorching water massage his body. The finger trail that the midget left was on fire and he was getting a little disturbed on the impact it left.

Hell, he had had plenty of girls but none of them…. NONE of them have ever made him get so angry and then so confused.

"She's here to make my life a living hell."

"Are we there yet?" Rukia asked for about the twentieth time.

After Ichigo took a bath they left the Inn, paying the owner Tessai and leaving with haste. Ichigo didn't even let Rukia take a shower, thoroughly convinced that she would take two hours just for the spite of it.

" If you ask that one more time, I swear I will stop this car and beat you." Ichigo growled as he looked at the fumbling through a book Rukia.

"Haven't we already gone through this scenario?"

"It seems like we have," answered a defeated Ichigo.

"You still haven't answered what town we are going to," Rukia said boredly

"We are going to one of the Cantons of Switzerland, Canton Vaude."

"Okay, let's go Snuggles!" Rukia said cheerfully.

"Snuggles?" Ichigo asked and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yep, spooning equals snuggles," Rukia said as she drew a little drawing on the book and showed Ichigo. It incorporated a bunny hugging a spoon, an equal sign and a teddy bear, all of which were badly drawn.

"Call me that again and I will kill you," Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed.

"Whatever you say," Rukia said with an innocent smile, "Snuggles…"

* * *

Sorry about the long wait for an update, let me just say that the past two weeks or so just have been hetic... had exams, social disorder and wisdom teeth pulled so I have been pratically high for the past three days haha! Anyways I just wanted to make a chapter focusing on Ichigo and Rukia, cause you know they are just simply amazing together don't ya think?

Read, Review and Enjoy!

Hayden Days


	8. Hansel and Gretel

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 7: Hansel and Gretel

_"It was an evil house from the beginning-a house that was born bad."_

DR. JOHN MARKWAY

* * *

Rukia watched the scenery pass by the car window as she rested her head on her hand. It has been a full day of riding with the orange headed moron she so lovingly called idiot, and frankly she was tired beyond belief. Not only was Ichigo making her tired, but she hadn't had anything to eat since she was taken and it was making her increasingly angry. One angry tired Rukia was a bad thing. A _very_ bad thing.

"Idiot," Rukia said softly.

"What," Ichigo scowled hearing her comment.

"That Tessai guy offered us breakfast, but no we just had to go immediately," Rukia pursed her lips.

"We have to go exorcise the spirit," Ichigo's scowl deepened, he was completely exhausted. Though to his relief they already entered Canton Vaud and all he had to do was enter the village Allaman. He was surprised at the time they were making in the car, though it didn't help that he was going completely over the speed limit just so he can get out of the close proximity of the short she-devil.

"Well, I'm hungry." Rukia crossed her arms across her chest.

"Like I care," Ichigo mumbled as he spotted a sign saying, "_Allaman-4.0225 Kilometers_".

"Yes!" Ichigo thought to himself, "We're almost there!"

For once he allowed pure joy to wash over himself as Rukia continued to complain about her hunger situation. He started chanting in his head, "Almost there, almost there, almost there, almost there…"

Rukia glared at Ichigo when she noticed that he wasn't paying attention to her complaints. She was ready to slam his head against the steering wheel, when the car quickly stopped and she was hurled forward.

"We're here!" Ichigo announced as he silently congratulated himself for such a feat, being stuck with Rukia in a road trip wasn't something that a normal person could survive through. Rukia who was completely furious for the car's sudden stop froze in mid punch when she realized that they've reached their destination.

"We're here," Rukia cried joyfully, she did it! She didn't kill Ichigo! Although, he was asking for a royal beating every second he opened his large ape-like mouth, she controlled herself. She kept her composure throughout the entire road trip; she congratulated herself and promised to reward herself with something sweet and delicious.

"Now, all we need to do is find the house that is contaminated," Ichigo said as the car slowly moved forward.

"Wait, you don't know which house it is?" Rukia's eyebrow shot up.

"The only information that the Headquarters gave me was that it was near the Chateau D'Allaman," Ichigo's brow furrowed as he started looking for the said building.

"That's completely vague," Rukia screeched, "What did they expect? That you instantly know which house is the one!"

Ichigo sighed and let Rukia continue her tirade.

"That's completely stupid and I can't believe that you didn't ask for the address when the assignment was given!" Rukia paused and thought for a moment before she quickly added, "Never mind, I can believe it."

"Believe what," Ichigo asked tiredly.

"That you would be such a moronic buffoon as to not ask for the address." Rukia crossed her arms and glared out of the window.

"I did ask for the address, but it was Urahara who gave me the assignment," Ichigo defended himself half heartedly.

"Who is that one again?"

"The annoying one with the fan," Ichigo answered as he scanned the house before his eyes landed on a massive building at the end of the cul-de-sac.

"Why would he do that," Rukia asked.

"He likes to play games and he said it was supposed to be a test for you."

Rukia's mouth opened to ask something else, but Ichigo interrupted her, "Test to see if you can identify spiritual energy."

Rukia's eyebrows shot up, "Oh."

"Now start looking," Ichigo ran a tired hand through his hair as he sighed. His life was one difficult hell.

Rukia bit her lip as she focused on the buildings and houses that were all made of stone and gothic styled. She didn't know what to do or how to recognize the so called spiritual energy, but she would never admit that she didn't know what the hell she was doing. So she continued looking at the buildings doing her best to look like she knew what she was doing.

The tires rolled gently over the wet cobble stone road as Ichigo looked at the massive building once again, seeing as they were close enough to the building to read the sign on the front gate.

"La Chateau D'Allaman," Ichigo read aloud, he turned to Rukia, "It's suppose to be around here."

Rukia nodded her head as the car stopped and she closed her eyes trying to focus on whatever the hell the spiritual energy was suppose to be like. A few minutes passed and Ichigo was silently waiting for Rukia to do something, _anything_. That's when Rukia suddenly gasped. His eyebrows shot up and he thought to himself, "Well, at least that was something..."

Rukia felt as if something was pulling her softly forward, she looked at Ichigo who was scowling and said, "I think it's straight ahead."

"What the Chateau D'Allaman," Ichigo smirked, "the information was that it was near not that it _was _the Chateau D'Allaman."

"Dumbass," Rukia frowned, "it could be _behind _the Chateau D'Allaman."

Ichigo scowled and mumbled something under his breath which Rukia didn't hear as she quickly released her seatbelt and jumped out of the car. Ichigo went to the back of the car and retrieved their suitcases, he looked at the black iron gate surrounding the Chateau D'Allaman and glanced at Rukia, "Are you sure it's straight ahead?"

"Yep," Rukia nodded confidently as she continued to feel the soft pull, "What are you scared?"

"Says the girl that screamed like a baby over a ghost the other day," Ichigo glared.

"I was just surprised," Rukia sneered, "it caught me off guard."

Before Ichigo could say some sort of smart ass comment, Rukia started walking around the building and its gates.

"Come on, idiot," she ordered.

Ichigo grumbled underneath his breath again and walked after her, realizing that he was carrying her suitcase he yelled at her, "You height challenge she-devil, carry your own shit!"

Rukia smirked as she said behind her, "What I can't hear you."

"I said to carry your own shit," Ichigo yelled as he quickened his pace.

"Hm, what?" Rukia cupped a hand around her ear. She then fake smiled and fanned a hand at him, "You want to carry my _shit_, thank you so much! Who knew, that underneath all that bleach hair there was a gentleman!—Certainly, I didn't!"

Ichigo finally caught up to Rukia and glared, "Like I _said_ carry your own shit."

Rukia smirked and poked her suitcase, "What are you too weak to carry my little old suitcase?"

Ichigo was about to say something when he noticed a dirt path leading into the woods behind the massive building, he nodded his head towards the path, "Is it that way?"

Rukia was caught off guard expecting some sort of arguement. She followed his eyes to where they were looking at and saw the path, she instantly felt the pull get stronger, "Yep, I think so."

Ichigo grunted and started walking towards the path and Rukia chuckled to herself when she realized that he was still holding her suitcase.

"Sucker," she thought to himself, until she heard him say, "Oh, yeah."

And with that he threw her suitcase on the dirt and continued walking ahead of her. She glared daggers at his back and ran to her suitcase, quickly picking up her suitcase, she continued following Ichigo, "Asshole."

Ichigo heard her comment and smirked. He said to himself, "There _that_ put her in her place."

Rukia knew instantly that he was smirking and quickly dropped her suitcase and grabbed a pinecone on the ground and like a pitcher in the major leagues threw it at his head.

"Ouch!" Ichigo instantly turned around to glare at Rukia who was turning over a pebble with her foot, "What the fuck was that for!"

Rukia scowled, instantly forgetting the pebble, and pointed an accusing finger at him, "For smirking!"

Ichigo growled deep in his throat and inhaled deeply to calm himself and dismiss all ideas of murder. After his much needed breath, he turned around and continued his walking. Thinking to himself, "She'll pay for that."

"No, I won't," Rukia called after him as she ran to catch up to Ichigo with her suitcase. She ran to his side and looked up at Ichigo whose face was contorted to a look of pure disbelief.

"How the hell did you know what I was thinking," His mouth hung open.

"It's your hair, it's so loud that it practically screams what you are thinking," Rukia replied triumphantly, remembering when Ichigo knew what she was thinking about back at the Headquarters.

"Oh, and I would close that mouth of yours before a bird flies in and makes a nest in there," Rukia added sardonically.

Ichigo quickly snapped his mouth shut, clenched his free fist, and was about to make a comment when Rukia interrupted, "I think we're close."

"How do you know," Ichigo said while exhaling.

"Because the pulling is getting harder and it feels like there's a lot of pressure," Rukia answered softly.

"Whatever," Ichigo grunted.

* * *

Five minutes passed and Ichigo and Rukia spotted a cabin ahead of them, completely surrounded by trees.

"This place is really secluded," Rukia said to no one in particular.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied to that no one in particular, he thrusted his free hand in his pocket and continued walking.

Upon walking on the cabin's front porch, Rukia looked down when she stepped on something and gasped when she saw that she stepped on a stuffed animal. She picked it up and wiped off the imaginary dust, the stuffed animal was a yellow lion with a brown felt mane.

"Hey, Ichigo!" She shoved the lion in his face when he looked at her, "I think there's a kid who lives here."

Ichigo scowled in reply and turned to knock on the wooden door.

"I wonder if he has a name," Rukia said aloud.

"I don't know, he looks like a perv," Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed as he continued his knocking on the door.

"How do you know if he's perverted or not?" Rukia glared, "It's not like he's real."

"I don't know," Ichigo snarled, "he just looks annoying."

Rukia glared at Ichigo before returning to further study the stuffed lion. The door opened and a red headed boy answered, "What do ya' want?"

"Apparently, he's not use to answering the door," Rukia thought to herself, she glared at the boy while she pinched the stuffed lion's cheek.

"We're here for an exorcism," Ichigo gruffly replied. Upon hearing this the boy's eyes widened a bit and he stood aside allowing Ichigo and Rukia to enter.

Once they were finally in, the boy asked, "Hey, where did you find that?"

Rukia followed the boy's pointed finger to the lion in her arms and replied, "It was lying on your porch. I just picked him up."

She offered the lion to the boy and he took him and threw him on a tan cotton chair that was a few feet away, "Thanks."

A few moments of awkward silence and Ichigo was ready to yell at the kid for his bad hospitality before Rukia asked, "What's the lion's name?"

This caught the boy's attention as he looked at the lion and answered, "Kon."

"And yours?"

"Mine's Jinta," he looked at his visitors from the corner of his eyes, "and my sister's name is Ururu."

"Your sister?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah that retarded lion is hers and she's the one you're here for," Jinta replied with an air of sadness.

"So you mean-"Rukia started.

"That she's possessed," Ichigo finished.

Jinta closed the door and turned to Ichigo and Rukia, with clenched fists he answered, "Yes."

* * *

I just realized that I haven't updated this story for a year! And I really don't know why because I really enjoy writing all their little tiffs. I just read the story over yesterday and I am just shocked that I haven't updated, I am soo sorry that people had to wait for this update! I am truely sorry!

I will update _The Junk Industry Blues_ really soon and I will release a brand new story! Which I can't stop thinking about and I already have written half of it! Yay, excitment!!!

Anyways, the story continues in _The Divine Conspiracy! _Hopefully everyone enjoys Rukia and Ichigo's bickering, I did when I reread this story! I can completely see Rukia chucking a pinecone at Ichigo's head, so expect a whole bunch of updates and fun my lovely readers!

Oh btw: The poll is off, sorry to those that participated because I thought of a whole new way to continue the plot line and I think it will be better than killing off someone! So yay! You all will love! Thanks again, for those who continued reading this story after such a long wait! I love you and will not dissapoint you with my story! Thanks again!

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Hayden Days


	9. Body Control

The Divine Conspiracy

Chapter 9: Body Control

_"Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind."_

JIM MORRISON

* * *

Awkward was the operative word to say the least. Rukia glanced over at Ichigo unsure of what to do, apparently Ichigo was feeling the same because he glanced over at her at the same time. Their eyes met and they both knew exactly what the other was think… this was awkward.

Rukia shifted her weight on her feet as Ichigo cleared his throat, buying himself more time.

"I am…" Ichigo started, not knowing what to say next. What the hell do you say?—Sorry kid that you're sister is possessed and you're stuck here alone to deal with. Sorry that the only people that could possibly help is an uncertified priest and a little she-devil that is more useful in a wrestling ring than an exorcism—he finished lamely, "…sorry…"

"Lame," Rukia whispered to him. He snarled, how the hell does she manage to do that? Some way, somehow, she always knew what he was thinking or feeling and used it to make him feel, well…. lame.

Jinta glanced back and forth from the two figures in front of him. He felt exasperated and doomed as he watched their glaring match; he ran a hand over his face as if to wipe away all stress and sighed. He was definitely, officially screwed and the person that would be hurt the most was Ururu.

"Listen, I'm sorry I have to break up your little stare down, but my sister is currently possessed," Jinta growled, his voice dripping with venom on the word possessed, obviously pissed that he had to remind them of his sister.

"Oh," Rukia exclaimed her cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment, her head quickly snapped to the red headed boy and Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck before he finally broke the silence, "I am going to have to look at her."

Jinta rolled his tired eyes and turned around. "Sure," he said behind him and led the way for Ichigo and Rukia. He finally stopped in front of a wooden door and turned his head to look at them and sighed before pushing the door open and walking in.

Ichigo could feel the spiritual energy engulf him completely, he was trained to handle large amounts of spiritual energy, but he couldn't help himself from feeling worried about Rukia. She had never been use to these types of scenarios and he knew that most likely it would affect her immensely; he turned to look at her and saw that he was right.

Rukia's breaths were heavy and short, and a sharp pain was stabbing her head making her wince. She could feel Ichigo's amber eyes on her and she looked up to meet them.

"You okay," he asked, his gruff voice irritating her. Of course she was okay, so what if she felt a little dizzy? She could take this, she had been through worse things and she would be damned if she would lower herself by waiting in the next room because she couldn't handle being a little queasy.

"I'm fine," her voice did not hide her annoyance.

"Ya' sure?"

"I said that I'm fine."

"You don't look like it," he smirked knowing that even if she couldn't handle the spiritual energy's pressure, she would never admit it; she wouldn't do anything to damage her pride.

"I'm…" Rukia trailed off as she heard a moan, her eyes scanned the room until they rested on the small figure in the bed. She gasped, "Oh my God."

Ichigo followed Rukia's eyes and they were greeted with the same sight, "Ah fuck…"

The bed was ancient, aged with wear and tear, its mattress was thin and lumpy, it looked uncomfortable just from glancing at it. The white, dusty wool blanket was stretched across the figure that was sleeping. The figure upon closer glance was a little girl; her black hair was dull and wanting of luster. Her bangs stuck to her forehead from the sweat. The little girl's skin was a sickly pale, covered with bruises and scratches and her eyes were heavy with dark purple bags underneath the lids. Her breathing was deep and even, but her slumber was restless, her head would toss to and fro occasionally and her small fragile fingers would grip the woolen blanket so tight that her fingernails would pierce the blanket and mark her palms.

Their silence was broken when Jinta whispered, "That's her."

Ichigo walked over to Ururu's side and tucked her wet bangs behind her ears; she grimaced from his actions but didn't wake. After a moment of observing her Ichigo looked up at Jinta, "She's definitely possessed…"

Rukia pursued her lips as she thought, "No shit, dumbass."

Jinta glared at Ichigo, "I know. Now what the hell are you going to do about it?"

Ichigo scowled as he said, "Not much now, it's already sunset and when I perform an exorcism, especially one concerning a person being possessed, I prefer to perform it during the day."

"What the hell," Rukia glared at Ichigo, beating Jinta to the punch, "so you're just going to let her suffer another night?"

"The night is their territory, Rukia. They are the strongest during this time and to perform one on their turf is to practically beg for Ururu to get hurt. It will be the safest for her and for all of us if we perform it at daybreak." Ichigo sighed and walked over to Jinta and Rukia with his hands in his pockets, he glanced over at Jinta and gave him an apologetic glance, "Sorry, but right now it's the best thing we can do."

Jinta nodded his head gruffly and looked at the two travelers, who were obviously tired, "You can stay here tonight. I'll prepare dinner."

Ichigo followed Jinta out of the room, but Rukia lingered allowing another glance at Ururu. "Poor girl…."

Rukia then heard a light humming noise and her eyes rested on Ururu's face. Her eyes strained and her sight became fuzzy as the humming became louder and louder.

* * *

Ichigo followed Jinta down the hall when he suddenly felt as if something wasn't right. He looked behind him and saw that Rukia wasn't following; he clenched his teeth as he felt mild irritation rise up in him, "Where the hell is that girl?"

He looked at Jinta, "I'm going to get Rukia."

Jinta nodded and started walking away until he froze in mid-step and looked at Ichigo, "Is that you?"

"What," Ichigo frowned. He then heard what Jinta was hearing; a low dark chuckling that seemed to come from the floor. It then grew louder and louder till it felt as if it was surrounding them. Jinta looked at Ichigo terrified and Ichigo asked, "Has this ever happened before?"

Jinta swallowed oncoming saliva as he shook his head no. Then realization hit Ichigo as his head snapped towards the direction of Ururu's room, "Fuck! Rukia!"

The chuckling grew louder and he took off running down the hall towards the room. There was a sudden spike of spiritual energy and the chuckling grew into a squeal of delightful glee as the door to Ururu's room slammed shut. Ichigo dove for the door in an attempt to stop it from closing, but the door slammed before he could reach it. He grabbed the door knob, but it wouldn't budge and he could feel fear rising deep in his stomach.

He looked behind him and saw Jinta, who ran after Ichigo started running, his face was that of pure terror, "What the fuck is happening."

"I don't know," Ichigo gritted his teeth as he tried the door knob once again. The squealing was taunting him and Ichigo shouted, "You bastard, you better not hurt them!"

Ichigo then slammed his shoulder into the door, but it wouldn't open. He continued ramming his shoulder into the door and the only thoughts that came to him as the voice taunted him was, "Please be alright Rukia."

* * *

Rukia felt as if her mind left her body and her eyes tiredly watched Ururu's face which was that of peace.

"Rukia!"

She felt a hand pull her back and steady her as her back connected to something hard. She quickly blinked and shook her head making the humming disappear, she looked up to see Ichigo's worried eyes scanning her face.

"What happened," Rukia's eyebrows furrowed.

"You don't remember?" his eyes widened in surprise. Rukia was completely confused and she looked over at Jinta who was standing next to Ichigo and saw his face a mixture of confusion and terror.

"I…" Rukia looked up into Ichigo's honest eyes, "I don't know. All I know is that I heard a humming noise and I couldn't look away from Ururu's face, then you grabbed me."

"Ah, fuck," Ichigo mumbled, instantly raising her fears further, she looked at Ururu's sleeping form and took a step back making her back come closer to Ichigo's chest.

Jinta started, "Is she the one now pos—"

"No," Ichigo harshly interrupted as he tightened his grip on Rukia's shoulders, "We should get her out of this room."

Ichigo lead an even more confused tired Rukia out of the room, his grip never leaving her shoulders.

* * *

An hour later and Rukia still didn't know what happened. She was seated with Ichigo and Jinta at a table covered with plates of food and instantly her mind and fear was cleared as she eyed the food. Then she heard Jinta say that blessed phrase, "Help yourself."

Helped herself she did, being deprived of nourishment for so long and being stuck with a man who made her want to pluck out her eyelashes really took a lot out of her. She was also surprised at how tasty it was. After the dinner, she commented on Jinta's cooking skills, "You're really good you know."

"Thanks, I had to learn to cook after our parent's left," Jinta replied gruffly.

"Your parents left," Ichigo looked at Jinta in disbelief.

"Yeah, a year ago when Ururu became possessed, they couldn't handle it so they left and I've been doing everything ever since," Jinta said nonchalantly. He added underneath his breath obviously still affected by his parent's abandonment, "Bastards…"

"You've been on your own dealing with this," Rukia was shocked, but she could believe it. There are plenty of shitty parents in the world, but it always amazed her at how that could even be possible.

"Yeah, I contacted the church after three months of it and nine months later you guys came." Jinta scratched his chin and looked at the seated duo.

"That sucks," Ichigo finally said as the moments passed.

"Yeah," Jinta shrugged his shoulders, "it does."

After a few passing moments of silence, Rukia with her stomach filled with food was able to think clearly and remembered the incident in Ururu's room. Her head snapped to Ichigo as she looked into his eyes earnestly, "What happened back there."

Ichigo and Jinta exchanged looks and Ichigo ran a hand through his vibrant hair, "Shit I was kind of hoping 'ya would forget about that…"

"I have a right to know," Rukia crossed her arms across her chest, sensing that Ichigo was probably not going to tell her.

"You have a right, but at what cost," Ichigo closed his eyes as his hand travelled from the back of his head to his neck.

"Tell me," Rukia commanded softly.

Jinta looked over at Ichigo, who nodded at him in return, "When we walked out of the room you didn't follow, then when we were down the hallway there was a low chuckling sound. When I asked Ichigo if it was him, the chuckling grew louder and Ichigo ran off to Ururu's room and the door slammed shut…"

He looked over at Ichigo who continued with the narrative, "The door wouldn't open and I tried to run into it to open it and it still wouldn't budge, that's when…"

_Ichigo growled as he rammed his shoulder into the door once again. Jinta yelled over the loud squealing, "It's not going to work!"_

"_I don't give a fuck," he said more to himself than Jinta. Ichigo's veined popped out of his neck as he rammed into the door again and continued his abuse. Then as suddenly as the chuckling started it stopped and Ichigo froze and stared at the door. Jinta looked at Ichigo, "Do you think," not bothering to finish his question as Ichigo reach for the door and twisted the previously immobile door knob. _

_He pushed open the door and was silent at the scene before him._

_Rukia was in the spot that they left her in, but her body was rigidly straight. Little beam of lights were dancing around the room as a soft wind was gently pushing Ururu's blanket and moving their hair. He could hear Rukia's soft whisper in an unknown language and Ichigo slowly walked into the room as if it was a mere sin to even step within feet of this sight. _

_He could see her face and noticed that it was cast in a radiant glow; she looked almost unworldly as her lips continued their movement. He then drew in a breath when he noticed her eyes were dilated to the point where not even a speck of her violet eyes could be seen, her eyes were completely black. His eyes darted to a corner and he saw a dark shadowed figure standing frozen almost as if it was powerless to respond to the scene. The figure recognizing that Ichigo noticed it, growled and quickly vanished leaving an echo of footsteps in the hallway._

_Ichigo quickly grabbed Rukia's shoulder and pulled her back to his chest as he exclaimed, "Rukia!"_

_The lights quickly disappeared and the air was still as she stopped her whispering and shook her head. He was instantly relieved when her normal violet eyes looked up at him and heard her ask in a tone of quiet confusion, "What happened?"_

Rukia didn't move an inch during Ichigo's narrative and when he finished, she slowly folded her hands into her lap. Ichigo watched Rukia scanning her face, trying to read her expression and ultimately guess what she was thinking, but this time she was unreadable.

The silence at the table was unnerving as Ichigo who was accustomed to seeing Rukia full of life and spunk, was now forced to see Rukia silent and almost a corpse. Jinta looked from Ichigo to Rukia and shifted uncomfortably in the silence before saying, "It's late, I'll show you two to your room."

He lifted himself from his seat and started walking, expecting Ichigo and Rukia to follow. They did after a few more moments of frozen silence; Rukia was the first to stand slowly lifting herself from the seat and swaying on her feet, unable to find her center of gravity,

Ichigo's warm hand on the small of her back was the only thing that could steady her, almost as if contact with him was the only way for Rukia to function.

They followed Jinta slowly and entered the room that he offered; the small warm was suitable for the night. It had a dresser with a large mirror above it facing the bed which was large enough for them, Ichigo noticed that their suitcases were already in there placed in an obvious spot for them to find. Ichigo gently lead Rukia to the bed and helped her to sit down on the lumpy mattress, her eyes still retaining their faraway glazed look.

He sighed as he ran a hand through his bright hair and looked around the room that was only illuminated by the moon, deciding what to do. He then sat down next to Rukia and rested his elbows on his knees as he hung his tired head down. This was one hell of a day as he recalled the events that had transpired, he instantly felt sorry for Rukia who had the brunt of the two.

He heard a soft sigh and his head instantly jerked up to look at Rukia who was still in her state, but it appeared that she was slowly returning back to herself, the shock of the incident slowly wearing away. His eyes continued scanning her face for what seemed like seconds, but were minutes.

"Ichigo," he heard her voice, shaky, almost as if it would break in the matter of seconds. He straightened his back and rested on his palms as he rolled his head on his shoulder and looked at her from the corner of his eyes, he said almost as softly as she did, "Yeah?"

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "If you ever," she opened her eyes and looked at Ichigo as she continued, her voice as strong as it has ever been, "use this against me, I will kill you."

Ichigo was expecting something sort of… sad, or at least deep and profound, not a damn death threat. So who could blame him for being caught off guard and shocked, but when he looked into Rukia's eyes and saw the spark of life that was relight and the fire that yearned for fight he knew she would be alright. He smirked, whatever happened during those moments she seemed to have resolved the internal struggle that left her lifeless to the physical world, he couldn't help but internally admire her strong sense of independency that would allow her to recover from such a large amount of shock in such a short amount of time.

The entire time she was silent, Rukia was lost in her world of thoughts. Those thoughts danced around her mind in a sense numbing ballet of torture. Every second felt like an eternity of pain and chaos and every thought surrounded around the notion of her losing her sanity. It was a slippery slope, her sanity dwindled on a small thread and any little movement could make it snap and it would be gone and never recovered. She believed that the heavens were punishing her for an unspeakable crime that she didn't remember committing in this life or the past. It wasn't fair that she was the one that things happened to. She would give anything to be a girl who went to school with a smile on her face and went home to a family that cared for her, a life that was considered to be somewhat normal. Not this life she was given where she was given an asshole of a brother that would rather belittle her than love and a mind that made her question her own sanity.

When Ichigo told her how she was speaking in an unknown language and in a trance it scared her. She didn't know nor remembered any part of what Ichigo told her, not the dancing lights and sure as hell not a shadowed figure in the corner. She was frightened to the point where it scared her how frightened she was which then confused her. In the end, she came to the conclusion that no matter what happened she would hang on to whatever was left of the poor thing that she called her sanity. She wasn't the girl to go down without a fight.

She smirked at Ichigo when he snorted in amusement at her threat; she knew that he was thankful that she finally spoke after so much time of being silent.

"We should get some rest," Ichigo said as he hoisted himself off the bed and grabbed a change of clothes in his suitcase. Rukia pursed her lips at the thought of what was to happen when they woke up; it was going to be a hell of a day. Ichigo arched his eyebrow and motioned his head at Rukia to look away, she complied and got her clothes and quickly they stepped into their change of clothes. Rukia sighed as she carefully folded the dress that she was previously wearing, "I'm done."

"Same here," Ichigo gruffly said and Rukia climbed into the bed, but stopped in mid-motion when her eyes landed on Ichigo.

"Dammit, he's shirtless again," Rukia thought to herself as she swallowed her spit and felt her cheeks heat up. She couldn't help admire his physique in the moonlight as it illuminated his muscular body. Her eyes followed the lines of the grooves of his muscles and she had to damn the moon for its wicked light and making him look so damn… _good._ He turned around to the bed and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, if she thought that his back looked good then she was a fool because the front was… _flawless._

"Oh God, I am a perv," She muttered to herself so that only she can hear and she quickly composed herself and laid down in the bed. Although, this composure quickly faltered when he step closer into her line of view and she could feel her knees wobbled and thanked God that she wasn't standing up. She had seen Ichigo without his shirt on, but not when the moon was freaking illuminating it like a 3-d movie of some sort. Clearly, she was affected, but who could blame her?—any girl would be affected by such a physique in that moonlight.

"Damn that moon," she gritted her teeth; "if I ever go up there I will destroy it."

She quickly turned on her side and licked her lips and breathed in deeply to clear her thoughts. She cursed the moon for making her think that way about such a moronic brute such as Ichigo, for it was the moon's fault and not her own for even creating such thoughts about the walking rabbit's treat. She could feel him getting into the bed and she pulled the covers closer to her body as if it would protect her from that moon and its damn lecherous thought provoking ways.

"Oh yeah," she then realized something rather important and grabbed a pillow and placed it in between them creating the so-called barrier, she glared at Ichigo and pointed a slender finger at him, "Do. Not. Cross."

"Yeah, whatever," Ichigo mumbled as he rolled onto his side and Rukia quickly laid down and did her best to force herself to sleep besides the lecherous thoughts that the moon created.

* * *

Another chapter and I have to say that I rather enjoy writing this story. It's becoming a sort of guilty pleasure for me, haha. Thank you for reading my dear readers! Every chapter I kept you all in my heart! Please if you have the time review this so that it doesn't look like such a crappy story, they say you shouldn't judge a fanfic by the reviews, but it would be great to have more haha!

The poll is taken away and you won't see any character that I listed dying in this fanfic. Of course someone's going to die, but that is deep in the story and you'll all cheer when they get what is coming to them.

I love you all.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Hayden Days


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